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The genesis for this piece came from a CEO of a manufacturing company who also is an engineer. His business employs people with a variety of backgrounds and ages. He observed that people – especially younger people – have less ability to focus than those he worked with in the past. Are people now less able to focus on one thing? Are they taking multitasking to a whole new level?By Stephen C. Harper

Ask anyone who uses lean the purpose of a value stream map, and they will tell you it is to find all the steps that do not add value to a process and reduce or eliminate them. According to lean, there are only two options: An action either adds value or it doesn’t. Well, not necessarily.By Steve Borris

The Internet of Things (IoT) can improve various aspects of manufacturing efficiency, including productivity, asset health, profitability, quality, safety, employee safety and environmental impact. The narrow slice of the IoT that mostly affects industrial engineers is the Internet of Manufacturing Things. The critical relevance is the specific focus on how the industrial Internet adds value to the manufacturing process.By Thomas R. Cutler

An IE’s project management knowledge, especially the orientation toward human efficiency, is prime for application in volunteer settings and nontraditional arenas that also can benefit from process improvement, efficiency, enhanced knowledge and problem-solving. And church and community volunteering are prime examples.By Vincent W. Howell

Key levers that enable effective inventory management include better visibility of inventory levels, effective inventory segmentation, advanced forecasting methods and service level planning. This article sums up five insights and best practices to consider when trying to move those levers with maximum effectiveness.By Oviamathi K